As a grade school age kid, I remember thinking about how few people brought their Bible to church with them. How can they follow along the pastor’s teaching if they can’t look at the text for themselves? I wondered. Back then we didn’t have tablets with Bible apps, nor were video projectors within the price range of most church budgets. As I got a little older I began to immerse myself more and more into God’s word. By the time I reached high school, I carried a pocket Bible with me everywhere I went and sometimes even a full sized Bible.

Every chance I got I was reading the good book. My sophomore year I read the Gospel of Matthew in both the NIV and the Living Bible (a paraphrase Bible, not the New Living Translation that has become popular today) to see how good a job the people behind the Living Bible had done in representing God’s Word. I was appalled to find that, most of the time, I had a completely different understanding of what Matthew was trying to say from each version. I never opened the Living Bible again, but continued to carry my NIV with me everywhere.

We at Think-Biblically.com don’t have a lot of agreement with Pope Francis’ ideas lately, but he struck a chord of truth a couple weeks ago in a statemen he made in Saint Peter’s Square on February 26, 2017:

"What would happen if we turned back when we forget [the Bible], if we opened it more times a day, if we read the message of God contained in the Bible the way we read messages on our cellphones?”

We weren’t alone in our appreciation, however, as about a week later on March 6 Franklin Graham, son of world renown evangelist Billy Graham, agreed with the sentiment in a facebook post, stating:

"This is great advice to everyone who follows Christ," he said. "We all need to reach for the Word of God—instead of the phone—more often!"

The Pope, Franklin Graham and I all come from the same generation, more or less. It excites us to see people carrying their Bible’s. Today, however, people may be “conceal carrying” God’s Word in their cell phone’s. I admit that I do this now, as it is a convenient way to have the Bible with you all the time. If you don’t do this, I urge you to consider it. Why not consult Scripture while waiting in the checkout line? Or on break at work?

There are plenty of options for Android and iPhone users. Think-Biblically.com recommends the free Logos app, which has multiple free translations and some that cost only a few dollars. This app may do more than you think you need, and if that’s the case we also recommend the Holy Bible app from YouVersion. Search for them in the app store. Make reaching for your cell phone the same as reaching for the Bible.

Another great tool, along the same lines, are Bible Lock Screens for your phone and PC. This guarantees a verse of the day is in full view every time you look at your device. Search for “Bible Lock Screens” in your app store. A great one for your Windows 10 PC is available from Logos in the Windows App store. While technology can be a distraction from what is important in life, it doesn’t have to be. Take advantage of the options out there and invite God into your every free moment.